It’s amazing how food can rekindle a memory. Maybe it’s the aroma of a seasonal favourite, or recreating a recipe that’s been passed down through the family.
Some of our favourite Christmas memories come from gathering together at the table, or enjoying some time with friends and family — with drinks in hand and snack trays scattered around the den.
The people who run our local restaurants and food suppliers help us make Christmas memories, but they also have their own stories to share.
For most of my life, I’ve had Christmas Eve dinner every year with my Mom’s extended family. My grandparents immigrated from the Netherlands in the 1950s and one Dutch tradition they brought with them was a “Rollade,” a roast beef roulade spiced with mustard, pepper, and nutmeg.
Over the years, my Grandma’s favourite Dutch deli stopped offering this roast save for a few longterm customers. She was always proud to be one of the few names on “the list” at Christmas time each year. Despite our attempts at friendly cooking advice, the beef usually came out overcooked… but made with love, and eaten with joy.
Sadly this will be our first Christmas without her, but I know our family will cherish coming together for a great meal and sharing some memories.
My wife, Caitlin, and I spent Christmas in France one year — this was before the restaurant and before marriage and family.
We rented an old apartment in the centre of Lyon — the heating wasn’t great so cooking was one of the best ways to keep warm. Leading up to Christmas, I would go to Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse daily to pick up groceries for dinner and just soak up the atmosphere.
Days before Christmas a friend travelled by train from Antwerp to celebrate the holidays in Lyon — so it was the three of us. On Dec. 23, I went to Les Halles for my Christmas shopping but it was much more than I anticipated. From just a couple days prior it seemed like the entire place doubled in size, there was Christmas decor everywhere. At the entrance a brigade of chefs from Restaurant Paul Bocuse greeted shoppers and cooked up frogs’ legs. They were delicate and delicious, so as I entered Les Halles, I got to snack on perfectly cooked frogs’ legs prepared by Michelin three-star chefs. What a start to the day.
Inside, the cheese wheels were stacked higher than the crowd — the isles were chock full of caviar, fresh baked goods, fresh seafood and multiple butcher stalls. Everything was presented so beautifully, I wanted it all. I finally landed on oxtail, this would be our Christmas dinner! I was questioned by the butcher about how I was planning to prepare the oxtails — perhaps it was my accent and terrible French, but he seemed reluctant to sell to me at first. After some back and forth I must have passed his test because he was happy to wrap them up. After that it was fresh crab, eggs, potatoes, vegetables, cheese, Grand Cru butter, bread — everything I could ever want I picked up and headed home… on my bicycle.
Christmas Day we had a decadent brunch of crab eggs Benedict. There was a soft snowfall and the day couldn’t be more picturesque. We walked to Parc de la Tete d’Or, where a herd of deer roamed freely. In French fashion, we started our dinner with Champagne, artisan cheeses, baguette and jams and then went into braised oxtail and potato daube, roasted vegetables paired with Caitlin’s carefully selected Gigondas. We donned our sweaters and the three of us gathered close around the oven and shared laughs and Christmas memories.
A favourite memory growing up was receiving a Christmas package from our Oma in the Netherlands.
We were allowed to open it Christmas Eve, very exciting for young kids. It was loaded with Dutch treats (strop waffles, chocolate letters, marzipan, almond pastries, Christmas ornaments, etc).
Our present-day Christmas Eve tradition is to enjoy a fondue. It’s the only time we bring out the fondue sets. We also open a Christmas package sent from my sister in London, it being loaded with British Christmas treats. It was an exciting time when our kids were young, now a lovely tradition.
These are certainly not chef creations, but warms my heart when I think about these traditions.
My fav Christmas food memory would probably be just getting the whole extended family together and making a proper turkey dinner.
It was always the one day that everyone had off, including my dad, so he’d cook which in of itself was a big deal. His recipe for mashed potatoes was so weird — like, he’d put sour cream and white pepper in it. It was so good, a subtle tang from the sour cream. I’ve never seen anyone else make mash like that, so that’s how I make my mash now, as well. I remember one year my brother and I decided to make garlic mash instead, it was not a hit – lol — everyone missed the sour cream mash.
